An Interesting Couple
by Dbzfan96
Summary: After the defeat of Cell, there is a seven-year gap, where literally nothing happens. That's what Gohan would say, but if you asked Krillin, he'd tell you they were the best of his life. It all started on an island.


An Interesting Couple.

Summary: After the defeat of Cell there is a seven-year gap, where literally nothing happens. That's what Gohan would say, but if you asked Krillin, he'd tell you they were the best of his life. It all started on an island.

Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ or its characters.

I know that people may be wondering why I'm posting this when I can barely update one, but in fairness, I wrote a couple of chapters of this at the same time as No Way Home. This story is different in the sense that it won't feature too much outside influence. However, I hope you enjoy the interaction of Eighteen and Krilin.

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Eighteen sat on a small rock formation as she waited. Looking around the small island, she couldn't help but feel curious 'what made him live here?' The bald little man who had refused to push a button that would have saved them all from the terrible Cell and for some inexplicable reason he didn't. That was why she was here on 'Kame Island' even in her head the name seemed ripe for ridicule, just like the little man who had inadvertently doomed her to being a part of the 'perfect being'. Why? Why could he not press the button... was the son of Goku right was it because he 'liked her'. It seemed impossible that the little man who had been so terrified when she approached him on that quiet road actually liked her... yet if not that he liked her then why? It was driving her crazy being unable to understand the motives of the bald fighter.

Though it was also her uncertainty that was her problem, did she like him? At times it seemed ridiculous that she couldn't possibly like such a disgusting coward. Though was it fair to call him a coward for being scared of her? She was far stronger than him, she could defeat him with the power of her pinky alone, and he knew it... so why shouldn't he be fearful around her? However, she had never attempted to hurt him, so why should he fear her? Though why should she care? He was nothing just some hopeless loser that needed something to grasp onto; it just happened to be a highly dangerous and volatile android.

Her reverie broke when she noticed the fighter of her thoughts was approaching the island. Deciding it was better not to been seen waiting for him, she flew up high where he couldn't possibly see her as he approached his island home. As he came into view she noticed he was alone... 'good that makes things easier' she thought. She didn't know where the pig and the old man where but she didn't care as long as she could get the shrimp alone. He landed and took a moment to pause looking at the rocks she'd been sitting on. Had he seen her? She panicked for a moment before realising he couldn't possibly have seen her. So what was he doing?

He had moved towards the rocks, sitting down on a rock below the one she had perched herself on. He seemed deep in thought, what is he thinking about? She couldn't believe how intrigued she was becoming, what can be causing such a pained look on his face?

She'd had enough of being unable to understand; she was going to hear what was going on in his head no matter what. With that, she flew down to hide closer to him. As she landed by the house he did not react, she was far too fast for him to detect visually and Eighteen gave off no power lever, she could be stood directly behind him, and he wouldn't know unless he turned around, even then she could move before he noticed.

He was talking to himself, but even with the sea's gentle waves his quiet voice carried to her '...I can always remember you laughing right here,' he was saying.

Is he mad? He's talking to someone, but there's no one here, what the hell sort of person did that? 'we'd just begun our training with Master Roshi, remember, the day bringing Launch here, god those were the days when life was just a big game when we were kids...' She had a pretty good idea who he was talking about now... Goku. He must be reminiscing about his friend.

She understood his pain. His best friend was gone, but she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that he wasn't thinking about her. She was brought out of her reverie by the sound of her name '...18 would've been easier.'

She wished she'd been listening, what about her would've been easier? It made no sense. Intently she listened as he continued. 'I feel like I should apologise to you Goku if I had done that you wouldn't be dead.' A sense of dread came into her stomach, though she wasn't sure what she was dreading. 'I wish I could apologise but I'd never mean it, I just couldn't have destroyed Eighteen.' This truth was why she was here; she might not even have to confront him to find out the reasons for what he'd done. 'I tried to tell you Goku, remember, that day you and Gohan were fishing, but I couldn't admit my weakness to you, I don't know if I have admitted it to myself. I'm sure you thought it was for noble reasons. but I can't say it was.' He seemed unable to say it to Goku now even though he wasn't really here or that he couldn't hear him anyway.

It seemed she was going to have to make him tell her. She nearly shouted 'tell me why?' But she managed to hold it back.

This moment was it. The moment Eighteen would confront him and force him to tell her why. He wouldn't escape, he couldn't she would make him tell her the reason he owed her that. However, just as she moved in and stood behind the rock, he said 'why couldn't I just destroy the stupid android?'

Fury. A white-hot blinding fury that's all she felt right now! She had always been irrational when people said mean things about her, but this feeling was far stronger. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard! He'd called her stupid! Who was he to look down on her he was nothing a weak, pathetic and emotional wreck, he was of no interest to her, why was she even wasting her time?

'Stupid am I?' Her voice was cold devoid of any the anger that was rushing through her. To give him credit he didn't scream like a little girl, but he did yell; he turned slowly there was a long moment where she looked down at him, and he looked at her. The terror in his eyes did nothing to move her. She wasn't going to be the one to speak first if he wanted a way out of being murdered; he better start talking. Baldy seemed to be in shock unable to comprehend her presence. She waited for the longer they looked at each other, the longer she felt her anger grow, as much as she wanted to say 'say something baldy' she refused to force him to speak.

He seemed to take several deep breaths before saying '18 o...of...of c...course not' she just looked down at him trying her best not to let him know what was going on in her head. She raised her eyebrow gently 'So why do you wish you'd destroyed me?' She could see he knew he was in dangerous waters, she knew it too one false move, and he'd be dead whether she wanted him so or not, her anger was far too high for some reason, she wondered how long before he started grovelling at her feet for her to spare him.

'I don't' he said carefully.

'I just heard you say it' She let just a hint of menace into her voice, though in truth she had calmed just that little bit. Her brain was catching up to her mood, and she decided to coax the information she wanted out of him gently. Eighteen didn't want him to seize up, or she'd never get the information out of him, she felt for now let him think she was on the edge of killing him then make him think he was talking her down as long as he didn't say something that sent her over the edge. If he did, then she might kill him.

'But I didn't mean it... I'd never been able to do that, no matter the circumstance.' He was very close to breaking down and begging her forgiveness. As fun as that would have been, she had to work the conversation to get the information she needed.

'oh... really?' She was almost startled out of her stoic silence when he started blushing madly, what had he taken from that to make him blush so much.

He seemed unable to speak again 'seriously? It's like trying to get blood from a stone' she thought and was starting to get angry again.

She was considering dropping the whole thing and grabbing him by the throat and forcing him to tell her. Before she could act on this, he tremulously nodded. She paused and cocked her head to the side, something she felt safe doing as he had his eyes on the floor unable to look at her. His blush was receding slightly, but she couldn't figure out that nod, it had been way too long for it to be an answer to her question. All she could think was to ask the question she had to know the answer to 'why?'

His head jumped up, forgetting his inability to look her in the eye, he seemed so confused, he must be trying to work out what she wanted.

He quirked a small smile before saying 'why what?'

She couldn't figure him out was he trying to make light of the situation... of her? She decided that he needed a little more persuasion if he was going to make jokes about her, she was starting to consider murder again, he had no right to be able to treat her like a joke.

'What?' Danger oozed out of both syllables.

He seemed to realise joking wasn't going to soften her mood. He started backtracking swiftly 'I only meant to make a joke I didn't mean to upset you, I just don't understand what you want to know...' If he hadn't said the last two words, she might have killed him, at least he seemed to want to give her answers.

Moreover, she was going to get them. The time for subtlety had passed, or at least it was time to get to the point, subtle was not how she could describe what she was doing. She was going to ask him straight, no way out. She would ask him till she got an answer.

'Why didn't you destroy me?' She looked hard at him trying to let him know that she wouldn't tolerate lying.

He paused he took a deep breath and said 'I guess... I just felt that I didn't have the right...'

She barely knew she'd done it till he was on the floor, she expected his jaw to be broken and was surprised when it seemed it was just throbbing, 'he's stronger than I thought'.

'Don't lie to me' she was positively murderous now and meeting her eye the little fighter seemed to realise just what was happening, truth or death, though he seemed to be weighing his options. Was the truth so bad he was scared she'd kill him... she may have even felt sorry for him, if only slightly.

'I wasn't!' He whimpered

She kicked him, a howl of pain as his chest was going to be bruised now. This time she had been calculating in that kick, rather than frustrated, she knew now that he was going to break and she'd make him talk.

'I do seem to remember somebody saying; it wasn't for noble reasons. So as your little gang is big on morals, I'd assume that you feel they wouldn't destroy me for the 'we don't have the right to kill living creature stuff', or at least your precious Goku wouldn't.' She then looked at him, she wasn't just physically cruel now but emotionally, but Eighteen didn't care, as far as she was concerned baldy brought this on himself by withholding the truth. 'why?'

He looked at her slowly, and she could tell he was struggling with something, whether or not to give in? He looked at her; he seemed to have found his resolve, for something. 'please...' 18 looked at him, he seemed to have given up on life as if answering this would cause the world to shatter. She looked at him, what could be so horrible?

She paused... did she need to know? Was it worth wasting her time? She knew the answer to that if she didn't find out she'd go crazy. Eighteen looked down at the short man, 'I need to know...' He seemed caught off guard by her tone, she could understand why she'd been shouting at him only seconds earlier, and now she was speaking quite calmly.

'Why?'

'because I asked' Her eyebrow rose challenging him to deny her now. his response would tell her whether he liked her or not, if he refused now he could kiss the world goodbye, she'd all but told him she was fixating on his decision. In truth, she didn't know why it made no sense to care. So baldy may have had some weakness for stupidity what did it matter. She knew she didn't owe him, but she felt that there was something important she had to discover about the little fighter. The only thing she could think of that interested her was why he didn't press the button and blast her?

Seemingly deciding that interrogating her wasn't the best way to avoid answering, 'I couldn't do it, there was no rational reason why.'

'just because a reason isn't rational doesn't mean there isn't a reason.' She pressed, knowing full well it was irrational for the fool not to destroy her, the pains in his jaw and chest were evidence enough for that, even before he thought of Goku's death at the hands of Cell.

'Well I just can't...' Baldy cut himself off and looked up in the sky in the direction he had come from. For some reason, he seemed more fearful now than when she had been beating him up. 'Gohan's coming.' She looked up. It wouldn't be good for the pint-sized half Saiyan to find her here standing over his friend when he was struggling to breathe, even if it was only two hits.

She scanned the skies in the direction the short fighter had been looking but couldn't see him or anyone else approaching. 'Are you sure?' She asked trying to keep any fear out of her voice and instead make it sound as though she was accusing him of lying. She considered the thought that he was only trying to get rid of her so he wouldn't have to tell her the reason, this idea upset her. Though in fairness she didn't understand why the thought of his super powerful friend coming could put him into such a blind panic.

He looked at her more frightened than ever before 'please just go I promise I'll talk to you, just don't let Gohan see you here.' He paused trying to find the right words, 'he can get pretty unreasonable when he thinks his friends are hurt.'

At first, she thought he might be trying to intimidate her, but he seemed to be terrified at the thought of Gohan finding her hurting his friend. Why though? It wasn't as if she stood any chance to beat his friend so why be so terrified, unless he was terrified because she was so outclassed. She became a little light headed at the thought.

Grabbing his shirt, Eighteen wrenched him closer and being as intimidating as possible told him 'I'll be back.' She was dropping all pretence now and making it pretty clear that she was invested in him but she no longer cared.

His eyes filled with panic as he looked at the resolve in her face and to the skies where Gohan was surely close. She could see it was getting close to the point of no return, leave now or have to talk Gohan down. She gave a small smirk that he couldn't have seen as he was looking to the approaching warrior and by the time he turned to look at her again she was gone.

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** Thanks for reading, might keep this a one-shot for a while, till I figure out where it's going.**


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